| Safer® Brand offers suggestions and strategies for natural and organic Japanese beetle control that are perfect for ridding your garden of these voracious eaters. Learn how to take advantage of the beetle’s natural predators, as well as create an environment for natural Japanese beetle control. Natural & Organic Controls What?
Bag traps for Japanese Beetles are a popular way to control this pest in the yard & garden. The combination of Insecticidal Soap and Botanical Pyrethrinswill also kill the Japanese Beetles on contact if they are spotted on your plants. How? Bag Traps - hang the bag from a trap stand or an outdoor fixture. Make sure to hang the bag away from outdoor living spaces and away from your home as it has a powerful bait that will lure the Japanese Beetles in, trapping and killing them. Bag traps are typically baited with a food attractant, sex attractant or both. As an added control measure, use a grub killer in conjunction with this trap. This will kill any grubs in the soil in case a female Japanese Beetle lays her eggs prior to entering the trap. See also All About White Grubs to learn more about the damage caused by the larval stage of this pest. Insecticial Soap (Potassium Salts of Fatty Acids) & Pyrethrin - combined are the organic equivalant of a 1-2 knock down punch. Japanese Beetles, like other hard bodied insects, are tough bugs to kill. The soap will penetrate their shell enough to weaken and dehydrate the insect and allow the pyrethrin to absorb into the insect and do its job. Pyrethrin is a powerful nerve agent that will paralyze and kill the insect on contact. Keep in mind this soap is not like dish detergent; it's a base from a blend of natural plant sources and pyrethrin oils which come from the chrysanthium flower. An effective and organic combination....... Safer® Brand offers a variety of Japanese Beetle control products to help control and eliminate this garden pest and revive your plants. Please check out our Japanese Beetle control products for more details about how they work and how, when, where they should be applied. When?
Bag traps should be placed outside at the first spotting of a Japanese beetle. For maximum Japanese beetle control, have your neighbors place Japanese traps at the same time. Apply grub killer as directed on the product label to prevent grub damage, making sure to do one final application in the fall before the frost to kill the last of the grubs before they dig in deep to overwinter and molt into next year's Japanese Beetles. Spray Insect Soap & Pyrethrin as a contact killer. Use in accordance with directions on the product label. If you are concerned about a plant or unsure of how it will react to these solutions, test an inconspicuous area and wait 24 hours before applying full coverage. As a general rule, much like watering, do not use any liquid insecticides in the peak of the day or when temperatures exceed 90°F. Why Choose a Natural Solution?
Natural solutions break down quickly to their natural elements. They are preferable to chemical pesticides that leave residuals where they are sprayed, causing long-term detrimental affects on the environment. Natural Predators What? Parasitic wasps are a natural method of controlling the Japanese Beetle.
How?
The parasitic wasp lays its eggs on the Japanese Beetle and its larvae that hatch will feed inside, usually resulting in the death of the host insect. Planting nectar or pollen producing plants may attract parasitic wasps. The insects may also be purchased by commercial growers of the insect. When?
The purchase of parasitic wasps can be done at anytime during the season. Nectar or pollen producing plants should be planted as an aid in attracting parasitic wasps. Most local greenhouses and garden centers can help you determine the right planting time for your area.  Environmental Controls What?
Knocking beetles off bushes, trees, and plantings is a simple method of controlling them. Planting certain plants, shrubs, bushes and trees that do not attract the beetles will help to control the beetles in your yard. Row covers may help protect your vegetable plantings. How?
Take a cup or bucket and fill it with soapy water. Knock the beetles into the cup. The soap will help prevent them from escaping their wet tomb. If there are many beetles, you can shake them into a cloth first before knocking them into the bucket of soapy water. When planting shrubs, trees, bushes or flowers that do not attract Japanese beetles, check with your local garden center to see which kinds "fit the bill." A few common plants include carnations, daisies, snapdragons, violets, pansies, begonias, forsythias, lilacs, arborvitae and fir trees.
If Japanese Beetles are attacking plants in your garden or fields, you can opt to use a floating row cover to protect the plantings from the beetles. These can be purchased at home and garden centers. When?
When handpicking with a cup or bucket of soapy water, it is best to do this in the morning or evening when the air is cooler and the beetle is less active, making it easier to knock off the plant and into the water.
Planting shrubs, trees and flowers that are not attractive to the Japanese beetles should be done according to your climate zone. If unsure, ask at your local garden center. It is best to plant certain trees and shrubs in the fall. Flower bulbs should also be planted in the fall, while annuals are usually planted in the spring, depending on the type of flower and the climate zone and temperature of your area.
Follow directions for using a floating row cover so it can provide the most effective protection from beetles. Safer®Brand brings you a variety of effective insect control products that are gentler on the environment! Most of them proudly display the OMRI Listed® organic seal and comply for use in organic gardening! Get rid of these pests with Safer®Brand products today.
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